BOSTON – Gov. Deval Patrick has filed legislation to reorganize the governor’s cabinet and group together and reconfigure several state agencies, saying he wants “a more coherent organization of government, one organized to address today’s agenda.”
Under his plan, Massachusetts would have departments of administration and finance, energy and environmental affairs, health and human services, housing and economic development, labor and work force development, public safety and security, and transportation and public works.
The departments of elder affairs and veterans affairs would remain unchanged.
Patrick also wants to abolish the Commonwealth Development Coordinating Council. He has created a Development Cabinet, a collaboration of cabinet secretaries geared toward identifying and promoting business development, job growth and infrastructure projects and chaired by the governor himself.
The Massachusetts constitution requires that the reorganization be approved or rejected by the legislature within 60 days.
